Days go past, even weeks fly by. It’s already over a month since I said goodbye to all the good friends down in Christchurch. It’s hard to realize that the people I had around me twenty-four seven for five months now are gone and that I will probably never see many of them again. But the time we shared will forever be remembered. Even if I will not see everyone again, that doesn’t mean that we can’t stay in touch and still build the friendships we have even stronger. Right now you look at one way of staying updated on each other’s life, a blog. So considering my change from almost just Norwegian friends to an international group of friends I found it necessary to start typing in English. Norwegian friends: I still love you! English speaking friends: hope you can forgive me for wrong spelling and pour English. Welcome to my blog and enjoy it!
During my travels the world got smaller, and closer. So when nature is killing, wars are fought and countries are struggling, everything appears to be closer to me than before. Wonder how the three nice Japanese I met in Fiji are coping and what about the two guys from Yemen we celebrated Christmas with. And last and closest of all, how are people in Christchurch one month after the big shake. I ended up leaving the town two days before the shaking. When it happened that was probably a relief for the people at home, but for me it was hard to sit in Australia watching pictures from familiar places and knowing people struggling without being able to help. Luckily my friends either left the town just hours earlier or escaped the rain of rocks and falling buildings. Thank you God!
So now you have got a short introduction to some of the thoughts that have been going true my head the last month. But I haven’t been sitting down thinking. This thinking and much more of it have been done during weeks filled by new experiences. After the final week back at base summing up before we spread apart, I flew to Sydney. There I visited my friend Eigil, who is a student there and an expert on taking care of guests. With fresh baked bread, Norwegian food and swimming pool in the garden I couldn't possible have had any better days. After resting there some days I went by my own up the east coast visiting Hunters Valley and Newcastle on the way to Byron Bay. Byron Bay was a good place to be. Nice beach, relaxed hostel and amazing people. I had some good days with fantastic Lior from Isreal and lovely Sheila the first Austrian girl I have met. I also have to mention how I bumped into the YWAM-folks having a free barbeque Friday afternoon. I got to know quite fast that two of them where from Norway, and when I got introduced for the girl it turned out that I knew her sister and that she knew my brother. Yes, the world is not big anymore! After leaving Byron Bay after six wonderful days I headed for Cold Coast followed by Brisbane. From there down to Sydney again by plane for the two last days in Aussie land. And by that my overseas travels were over for this time.
But it was more experiences to come, it always is. Just a couple of days ago I finished my first project at home. A hiking tour crossing parts of Norway skiing with my dad. You will get to know more about that in another post soon, hopefully.
 |
| One of my last sunrises in kiwiland |
 |
| Graduation |
 |
| Byron Bay |
 |
| Arts Factory - A good place to be |
 |
| Eating kengaroo and dancing to livemusic... a good evening. |
 |
| My family except my brother waiting on the tiny airport at home where you can walk into the terminal, grab your bag and hit the bus or car outside all in the time of two Tim Tam slams (aprox 20 seconds). |
